Leuven, April 11, 2008. Materialise sees in April with 14 FDM systems. With the installation of 2 extra Maxum systems, Materialise strengthens their position as largest state-of-the-art FDM capacity in Europe and enhances the position of Fused Deposition Modelling as a low volume manufacturing technique.

Since its creation in December 2003, the FDM technology at Materialise has proven to be a big success. In 2007, 5099 FDM parts were ordered and produced (cf. 2225 FDM parts in 2004). The growing demand for FDM components, especially large, platform filling parts, necessitates a continuous expansion of the machine park. This month, two extra Maxum systems were added, allowing the production of large models in tough ABS and ABSi plastic with water soluble supports.

Materialise's FDM center now houses 10 FDM Maxums (Materials: ABS/ABSi - Build area: 600 x 500 x 600 mm), 3 FDM Titans (Materials: ABS/ABSi, PC/PC-ABS/PC-ISO, PPSU - Build area: 406 x 355 x 406 mm), and 1 FDM Vantage (Materials: ABS/ABSi, PC/PC-ABS/PC-ISO - Build area: 406 x 355 x 406 mm).

With the expansion of the FDM machine park, Materialise again increase their flexibility and reduce lead times for the production of functional FDM models and series of FDM production parts in the latest materials. By offering the opportunity to order FDM parts online (through www.materialise.com/onsite), Materialise help their customers to shorten the product development process and save money.

"Today, FDM parts are used increasingly in production environments and for functional testing. With our large capacity of RP systems, wide material range and high-quality finishing techniques, we are ready to answer the customer's growing demand for small series of production parts. The growing use of RP technology in production environments is the main reason why Materialise continue to invest in new equipment. We plan to install even more FDM machines in the near future", concludes Bart Van der Schueren, Director of Materialise Industrial Services.

About Materialise
Materialise, with headquarters in Belgium, started in 1990 in the sector of rapid prototyping. Since that time, the company has grown exponentially. Materialise has become the largest service provider in Europe, with references in the medical, automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics sectors.

In 2003, Materialise added FDM to their technology range. An FDM machine works on an "additive" principle by laying down thermoplastic material, which is melted by a heated extrusion nozzle. In a similar manner to stereolithography, the model is built up from layers as the plastic hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle. Since the materials being used are plastics like polycarbonate and ABS, the eventual models are extremely suited for functional tests and for end production. As no moulds are used, there are almost no restrictions during the design stage.

For more information about Materialise: www.materialise.com